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2020 Model S release date

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Just curious, but the build date is when they are done right? So production in last couple weeks of Dec. '19 will include '20 models? Not sure what DMW or insurance uses to denote (e.g., what if car is built in Dec but is first delivered in Jan).
 
Tesla doesn't do model years, except to the extent required by federal law - so they'll start selling 2020 VINs in January.

Those cars are unlikely to be any different from the ones built the last week in December - whereas cars built in April of this were very different from cars built in May and later ("Raven" update with adaptive suspension and ceramic wheel bearings and the switched reluctance motor and silicon carbide power electronics from the 3.)
 
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Considering the purchase of a new model S. Wondering when the 20s will go into production?
Ok, I'll be the one to ask this time:
Why do you want to know? What do you expect to be different (in a positive way) for you if it's a "20" vs. a "19"?

Welcome. There are silly questions but yours wasn't one of them. :)
 
Different. Two words: Resale Value

People repeat this like mantra but I see very little actual evidence in the market, which seems to be intelligent enough to have adapted to the Tesla way of doing things.

As an example I see little to no difference in value between my late 2016 car and an identically spec’d early 2017, and I’ve been looking a lot lately.
 
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People repeat this like mantra but I see very little actual evidence in the market, which seems to be intelligent enough to have adapted to the Tesla way of doing things.

As an example I see little to no difference in value between my late 2016 car and an identically spec’d early 2017, and I’ve been looking a lot lately.

Yeah, I've been watching also. Seems like the real value drivers are facelift y/n, mileage, autopilot version, and battery sizes.
 
Thanks for all the replies !!

I believe I was lumping Tesla in with all the other manufactures. Model year changes usually have some kind of vehicle/feature changes. I was thinking it might be a great time for 360 surround view or the new........ whatever.... that makes the previous year vehicle something the dealer needs off the lot.

It also seems like (and different from others) new model years cost less. I may be wrong there but from following posts it sure seems that way.
 
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Thanks for all the replies !!

I believe I was lumping Tesla in with all the other manufactures. Model year changes usually have some kind of vehicle/feature changes. I was thinking it might be a great time for 360 surround view or the new........ whatever.... that makes the previous year vehicle something the dealer needs off the lot.

It also seems like (and different from others) new model years cost less. I may be wrong there but from following posts it sure seems that way.

Yup. Tesla doesn't have dealers to push cars onto, and and Tesla doesn't group their updates into a single moment every year. The larger updates are usually near the start of a quarter, like the Raven one was - which is a bigger update than they've done in a year or two, especially with AP3 falling just before it.

If Tesla does 360 view, it'll be with the cameras they have now - which means it'll show up as a firmware update for every car built for a few years now. The coverage at the nose is the biggest challenge for it - the windshield mounted cameras can't see through the hood.

I'm not really expecting another big change on the S and X for the next 6-9 months - but you never know for sure with Tesla.
 
Tesla has never made a big change in January, April is fairly common for changes, but they can start any time. Changes can come any time. You can find dealers pricing used Teslas by model year, but any buyer knowing what they are doing will shop by features/build date.
 
Just curious, but the build date is when they are done right? So production in last couple weeks of Dec. '19 will include '20 models? Not sure what DMW or insurance uses to denote (e.g., what if car is built in Dec but is first delivered in Jan).

It's actually when the VIN is assigned. My Model S is a 2014, but the window sticker says it was built in 02/15.
 
Without repeating what everyone else posted, but just to add ... Tesla model year is based one hundred percent on delivery date with changes to the features seemingly randomly released throughout and within the same model/calendar year. If a Model S is build in early Dec 2019 and delivered on 12/31 it would be a 2019 model, but if the same car is delivered on 1/1/20, it will be listed on registration/sales paperwork as a 2020 model. And similarly, a car built the first week of Nov 2019 with certain features and one build the second week of Nov 2019 with updated/changed features, will both be 2019 models with no distinction.
 
Without repeating what everyone else posted, but just to add ... Tesla model year is based one hundred percent on delivery date with changes to the features seemingly randomly released throughout and within the same model/calendar year. If a Model S is build in early Dec 2019 and delivered on 12/31 it would be a 2019 model, but if the same car is delivered on 1/1/20, it will be listed on registration/sales paperwork as a 2020 model. And similarly, a car built the first week of Nov 2019 with certain features and one build the second week of Nov 2019 with updated/changed features, will both be 2019 models with no distinction.

This is incorrect. Model year is NOT based on delivery date. There is a sticker in the door of every Tesla. It's placed there when the car comes off the production line, not by the Tesla delivery center when the car is delivered. Tesla model years are however 100% based on the the actual BUILD DATE. If the car was built in 2017 and isn't delivered until 2020, it doesn't magically become a 2020 model year car. Cars built on December 31st, 2019 will be 2019 model year cars per the title. Cars built on January 1st will be 2020's. For example, I bought four Model 3's when they first came out. All purchased between January 2nd, 2018 and January 8th, 2018. Everyone one of them is registered as a 2017 car.

Note, when offering facts in replies to people's questions, we really should know the correct answer rather than incorrectly answering questions. Better to not answer in many cases than to answer incorrectly. Just my 2 cents. Especially true if you're going to add "one hundred percent" to your answer and make it appear that you know "100%" without a doubt, when clearly you don't. Maybe at least bring it down to a 99.9% figure instead? LOL

With Tesla, model year means nothing in terms of features. Tesla changes their cars and features when they're good and ready to, not for future release in the "next model year". Try buying a 2016 Tesla. Confusing as hell if you don't what you're looking for. Some 2016's have the old nose cone. Some have the refreshed nose but with no AP2 hardware and others have the AP2 hardware. 2014 was also tricky as there were a few P85's NOT DUAL MOTOR's produced with Auto Pilot, but the Dual motor option was released a very short time later, so all 2014 "D" models do have Auto Pilot hardware, while the P85 was discontinued just after AP hardware started being installed. Same thing with 2013's. There was a major battery change mid-year. Early 2013's have a far inferior battery, despite being rated as the same kWh. They degrade far faster than late 2013 batteries and beyond.

Some 2019 cars are Raven updated, early 2019 cars are not. Some 2019 cars therefore have 370 miles in range while others have 330, despite the same 100 kWh battery size. Some accelerate 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, others in 3.7 seconds.

There are many other minor changes made. Tesla really should have a better way of identifying what car is what, primarily for the used car market. Right now, can be very tough for those not well versed in Tesla's to understand what date what happened. Most coming from regular car brands just think Model year. You can end up with a Tesla that has far less value than another Tesla with the same model year.

Anyone buying a used Tesla, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Have seen a lot of people overpay for their car because they bought a car built prior to a major change made the same model year.

Maybe adding version letters to each model year would be an easy fix. 2016 A, B, C, D, for each change they make in production. At least then you could easily identify what you're buying on the used car market.
 
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Without repeating what everyone else posted, but just to add ... Tesla model year is based one hundred percent on delivery date with changes to the features seemingly randomly released throughout and within the same model/calendar year. If a Model S is build in early Dec 2019 and delivered on 12/31 it would be a 2019 model, but if the same car is delivered on 1/1/20, it will be listed on registration/sales paperwork as a 2020 model. And similarly, a car built the first week of Nov 2019 with certain features and one build the second week of Nov 2019 with updated/changed features, will both be 2019 models with no distinction.

Just to be clear - it's not delivery date. If you order your car on November of 2019 and it is delivered Jan 1, 2020, it's a 2019. It's based ONLY on the date the VIN is assigned.